Hawkins woman escapes injury after rollover on 11-W

ROGERSVILLE — A Hawkins County woman escaped injury Sunday evening when the van she was driving began to hydroplane and rolled several times during a heavy rain storm on a dangerous section of Highway 11-W in Rogersville.

Kristen Danielle Meek, 20, of Surgoinsville, was wearing her seatbelt and wasn't ejected from the vehicle.

Shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday, Meeks was driving a 2017 Dodge van westbound on Highway 11-W approaching the intersection with West Main Street.

Rogersville Police Department Officer George Henry stated in his report that the van started to hydroplane as she started into a curve.

"At the time of the accident it was raining very hard and the road was covered with water," Henry wrote in his report. "The vehicle did roll several times."

The wreck was attributed to weather conditions and no citations were issued.

That's the same section of Highway 11-W that was the subject of a recently completed Tennessee Department of Transportation safety study conducted at the request of the Rogersville Board of Mayor Aldermen.

The TDOT study was requested by the BMA in November 2017 after two fatal accidents occurred at that intersection during that year.

Last week, the BMA rejected one of the TDOT recommendations to close the Caldwell Drive access to 11-W, which is located across the highway from the West Main Street intersection.

TDOT will, however, install new signage, reflectors and rumble strips the full length of 11-W in Rogersville.